From ancient folk tales to modern children's fiction, a disproportionate number of children's books feature main characters who are either literally or figuratively orphaned. Orphaning the protagonist is a useful literary device for several reasons.
Thematic and Narrative Advantages to Orphans in Literature
An orphaned child elicits immediate sympathy from the reader. As fear of abandonment and the death of a parent is a near-universal experience, readers feel allied to the character even though they may not have personally lost a parent.
Fantasy novels in particular often benefit from the absence of parents 'cluttering up' the story. The child protagonists in such stories often engage in adventures and feats which no sane parent would permit; leaving the parents out of the story prevents these complications, and frees children up from the necessity of returning home at regular intervals for food and bedtime. Sometimes this device is achieved by the story taking place in a fantasy world outside the parents' knowledge or reach, such as in The Phantom Tollbooth, the Chronicles of Narnia or the Magic Faraway Tree series.
The darker side of this principle is that parent-figures often provide too much safety and wisdom to maintain a real sense of danger or allow the child protagonists to fully develop traits of self-reliance and bravery. Lemony Snicket draws on this theme in A Series of Unfortunate Events, not only killing off his main characters' parents but constantly removing any helpful parent-figures from the scene.
Famous Children's Books Featuring Orphans
Pollyanna
Pollyanna is orphaned and brought up by her strict aunt.
Anne of Green Gables
Anne, orphaned in infancy, is adopted at the age of eleven by Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Matthew, the father-figure who is closest to Anne, dies at the end of the series' first book.
The Hobbit
Bilbo, whose parents are dead, is an adult when the story begins. However he is still 'orphaned' in a figurative sense when the novel's father-figure Gandalf disappears for the majority of the book, forcing Bilbo to be self-reliant. Similar themes are repeated in The Lord of the Rings, in which Frodo (also an orphan) loses the guidance and protection of father-figures Bilbo, Gandalf and Aragorn during the first stages of his quest.
The Secret Garden
Mary Lennox's parents are distant at the start of the book, rarely seeing their daughter. After their death from cholera Mary is sent to live with her stern uncle.
Harry Potter
The death of Harry's parents is thematically significant throughout the Harry Potter series. Harry lives with his abusive aunt, uncle and cousin. Dumbledore, a father-figure for Harry, dies in the sixth book, leaving Harry to face the evil Lord Voldemort alone.
The Wizard of Oz
Dorothy is orphaned and lives with her Auntie Em, from whom she is separated by her arrival in Oz. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, to whom Dorothy looks throughout the book as a father-figure, proves to be fraudulent and can neither help Dorothy kill the Wicked Witch of the West or find he way home.
Heidi
The orphaned Adelheid was originally raised by her aunt, who gave her to her grandfather at the age of five.
Eight Cousins
Eight Cousins and its sequel Rose in Bloom tell the story of orphaned Rose, whose extended family take turns in bringing her up.
The Chronicles of Narnia
Throughout the Narnia stories parents are largely absent – it is heavily implied that adults cannot enter Narnia. Aslan, who as a Christ-figure is also naturally a father-figure to some extent, is absent for large sections of narrative in order for the characters to exercise faith and self-reliance.
Missing parents are also a common theme in folk legends and fairy tales. See a list of Disney films featuring orphans.
Sarah Tennant - Sarah Tennant is a onetime English major who lives in New Zealand with her husband and two small children. Her interests range from ...
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